GROTON -- Kinder Morgan says about one out of every two Massachusetts property owners along the proposed natural-gas pipeline route have already agreed to have their land surveyed.

It's a number a group of pipeline foes from Groton hopes won't increase. Saying they must do whatever it takes to stall the project, Stop the Pipeline Coordinating Committee of Groton (SPCC) is urging fellow homeowners to deny Kinder Morgan access to their properties.

"Anything you can do to delay the project to either get (Kinder Morgan) to build the pipeline somewhere (else) or reconsider the whole project" would be helpful, said SPCC member Nick Miller of Groton.

SPCC members aren't alone in promoting denying access as a strategy to protest the plan to run a 129-mile pipeline between Wright, N.Y., and Dracut through residential neighborhoods and conservation land.

State Rep. Sheila Harrington, R-Groton, has said that those who don't want the pipeline should turn down Kinder Morgan's request for access. Nashoba Conservation Trust has also posted detailed information about what landowners can do to deny access on its website, which SPCC used to build its own step-by-step guide.

SPCC wants to buy time until the energy-transportation giant gives up on its current proposal.

"There have been too many decisions made behind too many closed doors," Miller said of what he calls the lack of transparency on Kinder Morgan's part. "They should reset the entire process and start over.

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Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (TGP), a Kinder Morgan subsidiary, plans to install the 36-inch-diameter pipeline to bring additional natural gas to Massachusetts from various sources, including those on the Gulf Coast and in the Midwest. The company has visited area homes on the proposed route to seek permission to survey land.

Miller, who said the pipeline would run through his Longley Road property, said he understands the region needs more energy.

But he believes TGP should have discussed its project in public before proposing a specific route. After TGP's agent left a note on his door seeking permission to access his land in late January, Miller said he visited Town Hall and found out that town officials had received no information from TGP about the project.

No matter how hard residents protest, TGP could still get an easement through eminent domain if the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decides the project is in the public convenience and necessity, said Ken Hartlage, president of Nashoba Conservation Trust that owns some land that would be affected by the project in Pepperell.

But many residents didn't initially realize it was a serious matter that could involve eminent domain, Hartlage and Miller said.

Some homeowners now regret having agreed to allow the survey, Miller said. And SPCC, which is comprised of about 10 Groton residents, is teaching these residents what to do about it, providing a template for a letter that they can send to TGP to rescind access to their properties. Miller said his neighbor has done so. And a good number of Pepperell residents also rescinded their decisions, Hartlage said.

TGP could ask the state Department of Public Utilities to issue orders for property owners to grant access. Not having surveyed all lands also does not hinder TGP from moving forward through the pre-filing process -- an informal process in which an applicant tries to determine whether its project is feasible, according to FERC spokesperson Tamara Young-Allen.

So Hartlage isn't sure if denying land access would really help stall the project. But "It certainly doesn't give TGP the ability to state that they received an overwhelming (public) support for the project," Hartlage said. "It's a passive way to indicate a lack of support for the pipeline."

SPCC says on its website that denying access in the pre-application stage is a symbolic gesture, but that such gestures "may collectively sway the legislative and regulatory powers reviewing this project."

At the end of pre-filing, some companies decide not to pursue their projects or change pipeline routes completely, Young-Allen said. She added that once it's pre-filed, all public comments would be posted on the agency's website. TGP intends to do pre-filing this October and formal filing in September 2015.

Richard Wheatley, director of corporate communications/public affairs for Kinder Morgan, said Tuesday that surveys are under way in various areas of western Massachusetts with permission from landowners.

"Project outreach, which is continuing, has been extensive and includes numerous contacts with local, county, state and federal officials, as well as with landowners in past months," Wheatley said in an email to The Sun of Lowell.

Diane Hewitt, Miller's neighbor and a member of SPCC, said the group wants to help local residents learn about the project. It is organizing the Groton segment of the cross-state protest walk and is distributing "Stop the Pipeline" lawn signs and bumper stickers.

Like Miller, Hewitt remains hopeful that the opposition camp may be successful.

"I think we have to fight a good fight," Hewitt said. "It's a long road, and we have only a few steps in."

Groton Walk, which is a part of the Statewide Pipeline Resistance Relay Walk that started in Richmond on Sunday, will take place on Wednesday, July 23. Walkers should meet at Petapawag Canoe Launch off Route 119 in Groton at 4 p.m. for registration.

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